There are technically a few weeks left in Northern Hemisphere's summer, but once August ends, it feels like summer is done even if the lovely weather will remain and there is plenty of time to do many wonderful things.
The days are becoming notable shorter. It is dark before 8:00 p.m., sunrise is after 6:00 a.m., it is still warm, but it doesn't feel the same. Plans are becoming limited. Less days out, more focus on work, some are already back in school.
August is kind of a bummer, but motorsports provide some joy during this transitional month. There were plenty of fun things that happened this August, some of it does involve looking forward. Seasons are ending, but it is getting exciting. You never know what the future has in store.
IndyCar Silly Season
We are entering the final weeks of the IndyCar season and once the season is over, all attention will turn to 2023 and driver movement.
It has already been an active silly season, and it began before this year's Indianapolis 500 was even run. We know there will be plenty of movement. There will also be plenty of drivers staying put, but there are still many questions unanswered and some we aren't sure what the answer will be.
Since we only have a few more days left in the season, it is a good time to get a sense what the 2023 will look like.
Team Penske
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Will Power
Concerns: None.
Changes: None. Penske should be keeping all three drivers and should not be expanding nor contracting.
Chip Ganassi Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon,
Concerns: Álex Palou, Jimmie Johnson
Changes: We all know about Palou's ongoing legal and contractual saga with Ganassi as the Spanish driver worked on a deal to move to McLaren with a focus on a Formula One role while possibly also being a third IndyCar driver for Arrow McLaren SP.
Johnson's future is up in the air. While all talk is about returning for 2023, it is dependent on sponsorship and Johnson has other interests, such as the NASCAR Le Mans project. Oval results were good for Johnson, but road and street course results remained difficult to swallow. Are five potentially good days worth 12 deflating weekends? We will have to wait and see if Johnson returns.
If neither Palou nor Johnson are retained, it is unclear what direction Ganassi will go with its car count. It seems like the #10 entry would remain. It does have NTT Data sponsorship. The #48 entry seems based on the funds Johnson brings.
Arrow McLaren SP
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Patricio O'Ward, Alexander Rossi
Concerns: Felix Rosenqvist, Álex Palou
Changes: We know Rossi is joining the team and AMSP plans to expand to three full-time cars. It is a matter of who that third driver will be.
Prior to the Palou situation, Rosenqvist had announced he had a contract extension with the McLaren operation, but it was open to run in any series with Rosenqvist teetering between IndyCar and a possible Formula E seat as McLaren enters that series.
With Palou potentially joining, it looked as if Palou would race in IndyCar and Rosenqvist would be sent to Formula E, but if Palou cannot get out of his Ganassi contract, or if McLaren decides it is no longer interested in the 2021 IndyCar champion, it looks as if Rosenqvist would remain in IndyCar, though it is McLaren. The third driver could be someone currently not under contract with the team.
Andretti Autosport
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Romain Grosjean, Devlin DeFrancesco
Concerns: What is Colton Herta's Formula One future?
Changes: Rossi out and Kirkwood in. Andretti has quietly sealed its 2023 lineup without much fanfare.
However, the greatest concern for the team is whether or not Herta takes a step toward Formula One and creates an opening in this four-car outfit. Herta has a testing contract with McLaren, but apparently Red Bull is interested in Herta, and in a potentially weird three-team deal, Herta could move to Red Bull with a focus on the AlphaTauri program, while Pierre Gasly would move to Alpine and McLaren would get Oscar Piastri.
With McLaren, Herta is fine in IndyCar. Would Red Bull be as willing to let the American continue in IndyCar? Consider Patricio O'Ward became a Red Bull junior driver during the middle of the 2019 season and O'Ward left IndyCar to run a Formula Two round plus a few Super Formula races at the behest of Red Bull before he was dropped from the program in a matter of months.
If Herta is plucked out of IndyCar, where does that leave Andretti Autosport?
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard, Jack Harvey
Concerns: Is Jack Harvey really going to be brought back for a second season?
Changes: It appears RLLR will have no changes, but with Harvey's results, you have to wonder if the team isn't considering a swap in its third seat. Rahal and Lundgaard have both run significantly better than Harvey. It could just be one bad year, but poor form isn't tolerated for long in IndyCar. I think Harvey will be safe, but it would not be a surprise if RLLR decided to strengthen its lineup with a driver change.
Dale Coyne Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: David Malukas, Takuma Sato
Concerns: Neither of these drivers have been confirmed and Malukas has been hinted with some other teams, notably possibly joining Ganassi if Palou leaves.
Changes: With the HMD Motorsports partnership, it feels probable the team could expand to three cars with Linus Lundqvist moving up from Indy Lights. If Malukas does move to another outfit, then DCR would likely remain a two-car operation with Lundqvist taking over for Malukas.
It should be noted we aren't sure if Sato will return. That second Dale Coyne Racing seat is reliant on Rick Ware Racing's support. If Rick Ware decides he has had enough in IndyCar, then we could see changes there. We also cannot rule out Sato could call it a career at any point. He will turn 46 years old in January. At some point Sato will be satisfied with his career and decide it is time to move on. Nothing suggests that will be the case before the start of the 2023 season, but it is better to prepare for it than not.
Ed Carpenter Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter
Concerns: Can Ed Carpenter Racing retain two full-time cars with Carpenter in an oval-only entry? Will Conor Daly still have the funding to continue full-time?
Changes: VeeKay will remain. Daly, as he has been for his entire IndyCar career, remains a question mark. Daly found the funding for his 2022 seat through a cryptocurrency sponsor, however, with the volatility of cryptocurrency, it is suspect to think Daly and ECR aren't walking on eggshells. If things tank out more it could leave Daly on the outside and ECR forced to look for another driver to fill the #20 entry.
Meyer Shank Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Simon Pagenaud, Hélio Castroneves
Concerns: Was this lineup good enough in 2022 to retain for 2023?
Changes: No changes, but the look for Meyer Shank Racing in 2024 will likely be different from its 2023 lineup. Pagenaud will likely be around, but it is Castroneves that is the question mark. The Brazilian is 47 years old and will turn 48 years old next May. His return to full-time IndyCar competition hasn't been inspiring, and it seems clear MSR knows 2024 will see a shakeup.
MSR will be testing its Acura sports car driver Tom Blomqvist in an IndyCar this offseason. The team has already tested Formula E champion Nyck de Vries, though de Vries remains a Mercedes-contracted driver and could land in Formula One. MSR also had Stoffel Vandoorne drive for it at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Plenty of notable names have come through the team. One of those drivers could become MSR's IndyCar future.
Juncos Hollinger Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: Callum Ilott
Concerns: Nothing jumps to mind.
Changes: None. Ilott announced he would return to JHR for the 2023 season. The only questions revolve around whether or not JHR has the capabilities to expand to a multi-car team next year or in the near future. Ilott has shown good pace in his rookie season, but this is the only single-car team on the grid. An extra entry should help this group become more competitive, especially if a veteran IndyCar driver is paired with the Brit.
A.J. Foyt Racing
Tentative 2023 Drivers: ... Good question.
Concerns: Everything.
Changes: We aren't sure what A.J. Foyt Racing will look like next year. It doesn't have any major sponsors tied to the team. Dalton Kellett brings funding. Kyle Kirkwood was covered with the ROKiT sponsorship that Tatiana Calderón brought, but ROKiT wasn't paying the team and dropped off Kirkwood's car before Mid-Ohio and Calderón's season ended at Mid-Ohio earlier this summer.
Kirkwood is moving to Andretti Autosport. As long as Kellett's money is still good, the team has no reason to move on from him, though results have been dismal. Indy Lights driver Benjamin Pedersen has been linked to a full-time ride with Foyt next year, but I am not sure how much fifth in the Indy Lights championship will lift the team's results. Drivers aren't lining up to join the Foyt team, at least not big names from outside IndyCar who could possibly achieve respectable results.
The most likely 2023 Foyt driver lineup will likely be the obvious driver lineup, Kellett and Pedersen, but with this team's standing, any driver who has checks that clear could end up with this squad.
What is a realistic early picture for the 2023 grid?
The full-time grid will likely be between 24-26 entries again. Ganassi could shrink to a three-car team while Coyne expands to three cars. I don't think anyone can feel confident about what Foyt does next. That could be a one-car team, it could be a two-car team, maybe it finds drivers with sponsors that pay, and it is back to three cars.
Outside of AMSP expanding and Coyne potentially expanding, I think the rest of the grid is staying put. MSR will stay at two cars and unless someone is bringing a boat load of money, JHR will remain the same.
There doesn't seem to be as much international interest in IndyCar as previous seasons. Last year saw Christian Lundgaard and Callum Ilott turn to IndyCar. We really haven't seen any serious links between a Formula Two driver and an IndyCar team this silly season. Names such as Marcus Armstrong and even Formula Two championship leader Felipe Drugovich have been mentioned as guys who have put feelers toward IndyCar, but we haven't heard of any serious tests being lined up, and Drugovich has recently stated he would want a Formula One reserve role if a race seat was unavailable. We will have to wait and see as offseason tests take place.
This could be an offseason where drivers change seats, but we don't see many new faces. A lot of drivers are staying put and there aren't many drivers that we know will be leaving for 2023. The likes of Rosenqvist and Palou are question marks, but both could remain on the grid for 2023. Considering the depth of the grid, everyone staying put would be good for the series.
Project 91
Kimi Räikkönen's NASCAR Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen will be one of the highlights of August 2022. It was an exceptional thing to view. Räikkönen came in and was engaging. He was competitive and with the changing conditions we got to see the Finn's world championship talent in full.
The only downside was it end prematurely when Räikkönen was caught in an accident in the middle of the race.
The good news is Trackhouse plans to expand Project 91 to six to eight races in 2023 after using Räikkönen's run as an introduction. Many drivers have reportedly reached out to the team from a variety series. Some drivers were even raising their hands on social media during the Watkins Glen weekend for the opportunity.
It is exciting to see what comes next with this program and six to eight races is a healthy experiment allowing a few notable names to make a NASCAR cameo in front of thousands of fans and create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those in attendance.
What are some possible Project 91 entries we could see in 2023? Let's come up with eight.
Driver #1
Driver: Hélio Castroneves
Race: Daytona 500
Why: Superstar Racing Experience CEO Don Hawk said he would get Castroneves a Daytona 500 entry if Castroneves won an SRX main event this year. Castroneves won the season opener at Five Flags Speedway. This makes all the sense of the world for Hawk and Trackhouse to put this together. Castroneves would have to qualify on speed, but Trackhouse can put together a respectable entry. It would be better than many other one-offs. Castroneves is a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. Put him in there.
Driver #2
Driver: Mark Webber
Race: Bristol Dirt
Why: You might not remember this, but Mark Webber was supposed to compete in the inaugural SRX season before travel restrictions meant Webber could not compete in the series. It has been a few years. Travel is more open than before. Webber would have raced on dirt in SRX. Let's get him on dirt now.
Driver #3
Driver: Nick Tandy
Race: Martinsville
Why: Tandy has been a NASCAR fan for years and has expressed interest in doing a race, specifically an oval. He grew up racing on ovals in England. Tandy is a Corvette factory driver, so this shouldn't be hard to organize. Many road course drivers have run well at Martinsville. Two birds with one stone.
Driver #4
Driver: Jordan Taylor
Race: Austin
Why: A few years ago, Taylor apparently had a Cup ride lined up for a road course only for NASCAR to deny Taylor eligibility because being a multi-time IMSA champion, Le Mans class winner and overall 24 Hours of Daytona winner wasn't good enough. Well, Taylor has run a few more years, won some more races and he is more than capable to run a road course race now. Like Tandy, Taylor is a Corvette factory driver. This should happen in a snap.
Driver #5
Driver: Jenson Button
Race: Sonoma
Why: There aren't many standout Formula One drivers that have recently retired that fit this seat. No active Formula One drivers are going to do this, and Daniel Ricciardo wants to be in Formula One next year, so cross him out. But Button is retired and lives in Southern California. It wouldn't take much to get him to Sonoma and he is a past world champion. It fits what Project 91 wants.
Driver #6
Driver: Shane Van Gisbergen
Race: Chicago Street Race
Why: Arguably the best driver competing in Australia, Van Gisbergen is leading the Supercars championship and is on his way to a third championship. Van Gisbergen is more than Supercars. He has won in GT3 competition, taking the 2016 Blancpain GT Endurance Series championship. He has run in IMSA before and was second in GTD at the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona and made his debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. Van Gisbergen has plenty of street course starts. Chicago would be perfect for him.
Driver #7
Driver: Scott McLaughlin
Race: Indianapolis
Why: Because as good as Van Gisbergen is, McLaughlin is better. A four-time Supercars champion, McLaughlin is winning in his sophomore IndyCar season. He is competitive on ovals. This would require Roger Penske's blessing, but I am sure the two sides could work something out to let McLaughlin run in Penske's backyard.
Driver #8
Driver: Mike Conway
Race: Watkins Glen
Why: Conway has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, two World Endurance Drivers' championships, four IndyCar races, including as a surprise entry for Dale Coyne Racing, and he has been respectable in IMSA competition as a third driver in endurance races for the Action Express Racing program. Conway is an under-appreciated talent. The Toyota connection might get in the way, but after seeing what Conway has done in other series, a solid NASCAR race is possible.
That is eight drivers and eight races. The fun will be seeing what actually occurs in the 2023 season and if any of these are correct.
September Preview
September means the end of another MotoE season, and this year's championship was made up of six doubleheader rounds. The finale will be the first weekend in September at Misano.
It is only a two-horse race for this year's championship, but it is between the clear top two riders in the 2022 season.
Dominique Aegerter leads the championship with 194 points. Aegerter has three victories, five runner-up finishes, a third and a fourth. The Swiss rider was second last year after contact with championship rival Jordi Torres in the final race at Misano earned Aegerter a 38-second penalty and cost him the championship by seven points.
With 50 points left on the table, the only rider capable of overtaking Aegerter is Eric Granado, who has won five races, including three consecutive victories, but three finishes off the podium, including two results outside the top five, have Granado 17.5 points behind Aegerter.
This is Granado's fourth season in MotoE and he has won ten times. He was third in the inaugural MotoE season in 2019. Aegerter was third in the 2020 MotoE season before finishing second last year. He was also the 2021 World Supersport Champion and leads the 2022 World Supersport with nine victories from 12 races and there are 12 races remaining in that season.
Other events of note in September
Two IndyCar races: Portland and Laguna Seca.
Formula One rounds out its European portion of the season at Zandvoort and Monza.
MotoGP has Misano and Aragón before heading to Motegi.
NASCAR has the Southern 500 lead off its first round of the playoff.
The FIA World Endurance Championship returns to Fuji for the first time since 2019, and it will be the penultimate round of the 2022 season.
